Shuttle-positioner



O. LEGENDRE.

SHUTTLE POSITIONER. APPLICATION FILED Nov; I5, 1919.

. Patented Nov. 29,1921.

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Inventor:

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- q. LEGENDRE. SHUTTLE Posm'oNEn. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, l9l9.

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O'V'IDE LEGENIDRE, F FITCI-IBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNQR T0 THOMAS C. SHELDON, 0F FITCHBUBG, MASSACHUSETTS.

sHUTTLE-rosmIonEa Application filed November 15, 1919.: Serial No. 338,204. g

T 0 allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ovmn LEGENDRE, a citizen of Canada, and a resident of Fitchburg, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shuttle-Positioners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts. I

' This invention relates to shuttle positioners for looms and the object thereof is to provide a simple and efficient device whereby there will be effected a material saving in yarn, the production of a'inore perfect fabric, and less attention on the part of the operator of the loom will be required.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have merely for the purpose of illustration disclosed one embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one end of the lay of a loom embodying my invention, portions of the side frame of the loom and cooperating feeler mechanism being shown therewith; f

Fig. 2'is a section takensubstantiallyon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the lay being shown at the forward end of its throw in full lines with the depresser actuating means in depressing position, while the dotted lines show said lay at the rear extent of its throw and the depressor means in their inactive positions.

In the drawings 1 indicates a portion of the left hand side frame of the loom, and2 the left hand end of a lay which is provided with a shuttle box 3 of any well known construction, but herein consisting of a fixed back plate 4, and a pivoted front plate 5, the latter comprising a resilient member adapted to effect a lateral or transverse binding of the shuttle as it enters the box. WVithin the box 3 is a shuttle 6 of any well known construction which is shown in its innermost position and resting against the picker 7. of usual construction. y

The backward and forward or beating up movements of the lay 2 are,,in the present example, assumed to be produced by, means well known to those skilled in the art and therefore not shown in the drawings. C0- operating with said shuttle during said lay movements is a feeler mechanism 8 provided for the purpose of detecting a predetermined condition of the yarn within the shuttle,

conditions are right, and upon failure of said tures through which the end of said-finger 9 Specification of Letters Patent. Pattgnted NGV. 29 1921;

and when such a condition exists to effect the functioning of certain other mechanism such for example as that for replenishing the yarn within said'shuttle, which may be done by the substitution'of a fresh bobbin or by supplying afull shuttle. Naturally numerous forms of feelers and bobbin or shuttle transferring devices mav'be used and I the connection between the feeler and Such transferring devices may also be varied to a considerable extent, and as such devices are well known and form no part of this invention, no further description, or reference thereto is believed necessary. I

In the present example that portion of the feeler mechanism that is fpertinentito this invention hereinconsists of'a feeler finger 9 arranged in suitable guides 10,.10 in a bracket 11 secured tothe frame'of the loom preferably at the front of the lay and in a position where said finger will be engaged by the yarn upon the bobbin within the shuttle when the same approaches or has substantially reached its forward position :as shown in F ig 1 and in the full linesin Fig. 2. i

The finger 9 of the present example is adapted to be moved longitudinally within its guides during each throw'of the lay as long as any yarn remains upon the bobbin 12 contained within said shuttle, and when so moved'the loom will, by reason of certain connected mechanism, be maintained in normal running condition providedall other finger to be thus moved the connected devices are caused to function and thereby effect the transfer of a'bobbin fromsuit'able bobbin,

supplying means to the shuttle, and the removal of the empty bobbin therein from said shuttle; or in certain cases well known to those skilled in' the'art, a shuttlewith a full bobbin maybe supplied in place of the one containing the empty bobbin.

In'order to facilitate cooperation between. the finger 9 and the bobbin within the shuttle, the" front wall or in thiscase the shuttle binder 5 of the shuttle box is slotted at 13 and the front side'll of the shuttle is likewise slotted at .15 thus providing ap'er-V can pass as the lay approaches itsvforward position. Upon entering the shuttle through said apertures, saidfinger 9 contacts with the. yarn 16 upon said bobbin, and through the medium of said yarn the finger will be pushed back a distance suflicient to efiect a continuance of the operation of the loom;

. should however, the yarn be spent as said lay beats up the end of said finger will, owing to the absence of yarn enter a slot 17 extend ing transversely of the stem of said bobbin and will not therefore be moved by said lay whereupon certain instrumentalities will be operated to effect the transfer of a fresh bobbin or shuttle as the case may be. Obviously it is desirable that the shuttle be positioned accurately, that is with respect to a vertical alinement of said several apertures and said finger 9, in order that the slot 17 and the apertures in the front wall of the shuttle and shuttle box may be made small so as not unnecessarily to weaken the parts in which they are formed, and in order to prevent the finger 9 from striking against the bobbin below the slot therein so as to cause the feeler to work even after the yarn thereof is spent. Furthermore, such a positioning of the shuttle is desirable to prevent its jumping or causing injury to the warp and a material waste of yarn.

For the purpose of accomplishing the results to which reference has just been made, I have provided a shuttle depresser herein consisting of a foot 18 which is preferably arranged to engage the upper surface of the shuttle near the inner end thereof, that is, the end nearest to the warp when the shuttle is within the shuttle box, as this end is the one most likely to be elevated or misplaced during the picking action of the loom due to a number of reasons, one'of which is an uneven wearing in a downward direction of a hole within the face of the picker 7 so that when the shuttle strikes said picker there will be a tendency to raise said inner end of the shuttle. The foot 18 may be supported in numerous ways upon the lay, but herein I have provided a vertically reciprocatory rod 19 to the upper end of which said foot is secured. The rod 19 is arranged to slide in a bracket 20 secured preferably to the back side of the lay 2.

In order that the depressing of said shuttle within the shuttle box may be efiected without interference with the picking of said shuttle, I have provided means for actuating said depresser during the resting period of the shuttle, that is, that period between the time the shuttle enters said box and the time it is ejected by the picker, and this I do in the present example by providing an actuator consisting of a cam member or lever 21 which is movable with the lay 2 by reason of its being pivotally attached to a bracket 23 in turn secured to said lay. The member 21 extends rearwardly from said pivot'and is provided at its rear end with a cam slot 24 suitably formed to operate in conjunction with a suitable cam follower or roll 25 herein secured to the loom frame 1 by means of a bracket 26. The rod 19 is op'eratingly connected at its lower end with said cam member preferably by means of a pin 27 extending through a forked portion of said rod and into a slot 28 formed in said cam member to allow a relative reciprocating and oscillating movement to take place between said rod and said cam member. The cam slot 2 1 is so formed that during certain portions of the forward and backward movements of said lay, an oscillatory motion will be transmitted to said cam member during the periods of rest of said shuttle within said shuttle box for example, as the lay approaches the forward extent of its throw as shown in full lines Figs. 1 and 2, and after the shuttle has been received within the box, the cam slot by its cooperation with the follower 25 will cause said cam member to swing downward and thereby effect the engagement of said foot with the inner end of the shuttle to force said shuttle down against the upper face 29 of the lay or shuttle race, or during the movement of said lay toward the rear extent of its throw the very first part of said movement will be utilized to raise said cam member 21 and thus move said foot away from the shuttle so as not to retard its travel when impetus is given it by the picker 7 during said rearward movement of the lay.

.By insuring a perfect alinement of the bobbin and its feeler the danger of mispicks or partial picks due to the striking of said feeler against the body of the bobbin, will be substantially eliminated, and in consequence thereof a more perfect fabric will be produced. Furthermore, the feeler need not be set to operate until practically all of the filling has been woven in, thus effecting a large saving in yarn. The depressing of the inner end of the shuttle will also prevent jumping of said shuttle and the consequent injury of the warp threads, and in addition to the above advantages it will be obvious that a loom thus equipped will not need as much attention on the part of the operator.

Having thus disclosed one illustrated em-' 2. In a loom, the combination of a shuttle, a picker, and relatively movable means to depress said shuttle to its operative position when the same is at rest against said picker.

o. In a loom, the combination of a shuttle, a shuttle box therefor, means for binding said shuttle in said box, andrelasaid depresser during the resting period of the shuttle, said latter means including an actuator supported in part by said lay and in part by a fixed portion of the loom.

6. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a shuttle, picker means therefor, means to position said shuttle at the end of its pick including a depresser movable with and relatively to said lay, and means to function said depresser including a member pivoted upon said lay and having operative engagement with a fixed portion of the loom.

7. In a loom, the combination of a shuttle, a depresser for the shuttle, and means 0perative during the resting period of said shuttle to operate said depresser to depress to its operative position and release said shuttle.

8. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a shuttle, a shuttle box including lateral shuttle binding means, means including a vertically movable foot carried by said lay to depress the inner end of said shuttle while the same is held by said binding means, and

means rendered operative by forward and backward movements of said lay to function said depresser durin the resting period of the shuttle.

9. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a shuttle, a shuttle box including lateral shuttle bindin means, means to depress said shuttle while in said box and means to function the depressing means including a cam member movable withsaid lay and having movable operative connection with a fixed portion of the loom.

10. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a shuttle, a shuttle box at the end of said lay having lateral shuttle binding means, means to depress said shuttle in said box, a member pivoted upon said lay, a cam surface on said member and a relatively stationary follower to engage said cam surface during forward and backward movements of said lay to function said depresser.

11. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a shuttle, a shuttle box, means to 'depress the shuttle in said box including a. vertically movable foot carried by said lay and means rendered operative by forward and backward movements of said lay to function said foot during the resting period of said shuttle.

12. In a loom, the combination of a'shuttle, a shuttle box to receive the shuttle,feeler means for detecting a predetermined condition of the yarn of said shuttle, and vertically' movable means i vertically to position said shuttle within said shuttle box with respect to said detecting means during the resting period of said shuttle.

13. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a shuttle having an opening in the side thereof, a shuttle box adapted to contain said shuttle and having an opening in a Wall thereof to aline with the opening in said shuttle, a feeler adapted to pass through said openings during the forward'throw of said lay and to detect a predetermined condition of the yarn of said shuttleand means acting independently of the picking action of the shuttle vertically to position said shuttle to aline the opening thereof with said feeler. V

14. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a shuttle having an opening in the side thereof, a shuttle box adapted to receive said shuttle and having an opening in the front wall thereof to aline with the opening of said shuttle, a feeler adapted to pass through said openings during the forward throw of said lay and to detecta predetermined condition of the yarn of said shuttle, and vertically movable means vertically to position said shuttle within said box during the resting period of saidshuttle to aline the openingtherein with said feeler. v

15. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a 105 shuttle box therefor having an opening in the front wall thereof, a shuttle arranged to enter said box and'provided with an opening in the side thereof corresponding with the opening in the front wall of said shuttle box, l

a bobbin arranged in said shuttle provided with a laterally extending slot, a feeler adapted to enter said shuttle throu 'h said' slots and when the yarn of said bdbbin is spent to extend into the slot in said bobbin,

and vertically movable means vertically to position said shuttle to bring said several slots in alinement.

16. In a loom, the combination of a lay, a

shuttlebox, a feeler for detecting a predetermined condition of the yarn of said shuttle through aperture in the side of said shuttle and said shuttle box, and a shuttle V depresser movable independently of said shuttle to position said shuttle vertically with. respect to said feeler. V 17 In a loom, the combination of a lay, a huttle box therefor to receive the shuttle at the end of its pick, said shuttle and said shuttle box having apertures in the front 7 &

Wall thereof, a feeler for detecting a predetermined condition of the yarn of said shuttie, and means to vertically aline the apertures of said shuttle and said shuttle box,

said means including a foot movable with and adapted for vertical movement rela-' 18. In a loom, the combination of a shuttle, means for detecting a predetermined condition of the yarn in said shuttle, and means to position the rear end of said shuttle' vertically with respect to said detecting means after the shuttle has reached a state of rest.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

Y OVIDE LEGENDRE. 

